Agency accused of stopping checks

A federal judge denounced Interior Secretary Gale Norton on Friday after officials in her agency weighed cutting off federal checks to American Indians suing the government for past royalties.

Attorneys for Indians seeking billions of dollars in the suit asked for an emergency hearing before the judge, citing Interior Department memos directing a temporary halt to all communications with Indians.

One memo said some payments had been stopped and another said they might have to be stopped. Attorneys for Norton told the judge that the checks never were and wouldn't be stopped.